French fries are served hot, eider soft or crispy, and are generawwy eaten as part of wunch or dinner or by demsewves as a snack, and dey commonwy appear on de menus of diners, fast food restaurants, pubs, and bars. They are usuawwy sawted and, depending on de country, may be served wif ketchup, vinegar, mayonnaise, tomato sauce, or oder wocaw speciawties. Fries can be topped more heaviwy, as in de dishes of poutine and chiwi cheese fries. Chips can be made from kumara or oder sweet potatoes instead of potatoes. A baked variant, oven chips, uses wess oiw or no oiw.[3] One very common fast food dish is fish and chips.

French fries are prepared by first cutting de potato (peewed or unpeewed) into even strips, which are den wiped off or soaked in cowd water to remove de surface starch, and doroughwy dried.[4][5] They may den be fried in one or two stages. Chefs generawwy agree dat de two-baf techniqwe produces better resuwts.[4][6][7] Potatoes fresh out of de ground can have too high a water content—resuwting in soggy fries—so preference is for dose dat have been stored for a whiwe.[8]

In de two-stage or two-baf medod, de first baf, sometimes cawwed bwanching, is in hot fat (around 160 °C / 320 °F) to cook dem drough. This step can be done in advance.[4] Then dey are more briefwy fried in very hot fat (190 °C / 375 °F) to crisp de exterior. They are den pwaced in a cowander or on a cwof to drain, sawted, and served. The exact times of de two bads depend on de size of de potatoes. For exampwe, for 2–3 mm strips, de first baf takes about 3 minutes, and de second baf takes onwy seconds.[4]
One can cook French fries using severaw techniqwes. Deep frying submerges food in hot fat, most commonwy oiw. Vacuum fryers are suitabwe to process wow-qwawity potatoes wif higher sugar wevews dan normaw, as dey freqwentwy have to be processed in spring and earwy summer before de potatoes from de new harvest become avaiwabwe. In de UK, a Chip pan is a deep-sided cooking pan used for deep-frying. Chip pans are named for deir traditionaw use in frying chips.

Most French fries are produced from frozen potatoes which have been bwanched or at weast air-dried industriawwy.[9] Most chains dat seww fresh cut fries use de Idaho Russet Burbank variety of potatoes. It has been de standard for French fries in de United States.[8] The usuaw fat for making French fries is vegetabwe oiw. In de past, beef suet was recommended as superior,[4] wif vegetabwe shortening as an awternative. In fact, McDonawd's used a mixture of 93% beef tawwow and 7% cottonseed oiw untiw 1990, when dey switched to vegetabwe oiw wif beef fwavoring.[10][11] Starting in de 1960s, more fast food restaurants have been using frozen French fries.[8]

Etymowogy

Thomas Jefferson had "potatoes served in de French manner" at a White House dinner in 1802.[12][13] The expression "French fried potatoes" first occurred in print in Engwish in de 1856 work Cookery for Maids of Aww Work by E. Warren: "French Fried Potatoes. – Cut new potatoes in din swices, put dem in boiwing fat, and a wittwe sawt; fry bof sides of a wight gowden brown cowour; drain, uh-hah-hah-hah."[14] This account referred to din, shawwow-fried swices of potato (French cut) – it is not cwear where or when de now famiwiar deep-fried batons or fingers of potato were first prepared. In de earwy 20f century, de term "French fried" was being used in de sense of "deep-fried" for foods wike onion rings or chicken.[15][16]

It is unwikewy dat "French fried" refers to frenching or french cut in de sense of juwienning, which is not attested untiw after French fried potatoes. Previouswy, frenching referred onwy to trimming meat off de shanks of chops.[17]

By country

Bewgium and de Nederwands

A patatje speciaaw, wif frietsaus, curry ketchup or tomato ketchup, and chopped raw onions, is popuwar in de Nederwands.

A Bewgian frites shop

The French and Bewgians have an ongoing dispute about where fries were invented, wif bof countries cwaiming ownership.[18] From de Bewgian standpoint de popuwarity of de term "French fries" is expwained as a "French gastronomic hegemony" into which de cuisine of Bewgium was assimiwated because of a wack of understanding coupwed wif a shared wanguage and geographic proximity of de countries.[18]

Bewgian journawist Jo Gérard cwaims dat a 1781 famiwy manuscript recounts dat potatoes were deep-fried prior to 1680 in de Meuse vawwey, in what was den de Spanish Nederwands (present-day Bewgium): "The inhabitants of Namur, Andenne, and Dinant had de custom of fishing in de Meuse for smaww fish and frying, especiawwy among de poor, but when de river was frozen and fishing became hazardous, dey cut potatoes in de form of smaww fish and put dem in a fryer wike dose here."[19][20]
Gérard has not produced de manuscript dat supports dis cwaim due to de fact dat it is unrewated to de water history of de French fry, as de potato did not arrive in de region untiw around 1735. Awso, given 18f century economic conditions: "It is absowutewy undinkabwe dat a peasant couwd have dedicated warge qwantities of fat for cooking potatoes. At most dey were sautéed in a pan, uh-hah-hah-hah...".[21]

At weast one source says dat "French fries" for deep-fried potato batons was awso introduced when American, Canadian, and British sowdiers arrived in Bewgium during Worwd War I. The Bewgians had previouswy been catering to de British sowdiers' wove of chips and continued to serve dem to de oder troops when dey took over de western end of de front.[22] The Bewgians served dem, and since French was de wanguage of de Bewgian Army, de name "French" was associated wif de food. However, oder sources disagree.[19] Since a Frenchman (Parmentier) first made de potato popuwar, it is not surprising dat de first reference to fried potatoes appears to come from France: in 1775, investigators dere found fried potatoes in a dish. Through de nineteenf century, fried potatoes became common enough dat songs and engravings took de “Fried Potato Vendor” as a popuwar subject. But at first dese were cut in rounds. In 1865, Gogué, in France, wrote to cut dem eider round or “in wong and sqwared pieces”; in 1870, Cauderwier, in Bewgium, awso offered bof options. Given de wag between practice and print, one cannot say dat de five years’ difference is significant; de most wikewy hypodesis is dat de practice grew up spontaneouswy and spread across bof countries.[23] Some oder sources refer to de owd-Engwish verb to french, meaning to cut wengdwise, as de origin of de name. At dat time, de term "French fries" was growing in popuwarity – de term was awready used in de United States as earwy as 1899 – awdough it isn't cwear wheder dis referred to batons (chips) or swices of potato e.g. in an item in Good Housekeeping which specificawwy references "Kitchen Economy in France": "The perfection of French fries is due chiefwy to de fact dat pwenty of fat is used".[24]

"Pommes frites" or just "frites" (French), "frieten" (Fwemish) or "patat" (Dutch) became de nationaw snack and a substantiaw part of severaw nationaw dishes, such as Mouwes-frites or Steak-frites.[25]
Fries are very popuwar in Bewgium, where dey are known as frieten (in Dutch) or frites (in French), and de Nederwands, where among de working cwasses dey are known as patat in de norf and, in de souf, friet.[26] In Bewgium, fries are sowd in shops cawwed friteries (French), frietkot/frituur (Dutch), or Fritüre/Frittüre (German). They are served wif a warge variety of Bewgian sauces and eaten eider on deir own or wif oder snacks. Traditionawwy fries are served in a cornet de frites (French), patatzak[27]/frietzak/fritzak (Dutch/Fwemish), or Frittentüte (German), a white cardboard cone, den wrapped in paper, wif a spoonfuw of sauce (often mayonnaise) on top.

Spain

In Spain, fried potatoes are cawwed patatas fritas or papas fritas. Anoder common form, invowving warger irreguwar cuts, is patatas bravas. The potatoes are cut into big chunks, partiawwy boiwed and den fried. They are usuawwy seasoned wif a spicy tomato sauce, and de dish is one of de most preferred tapas by Spaniards.[29] Fries may have been invented in Spain, de first European country in which de potato appeared from de New Worwdcowonies, and assume fries' first appearance to have been as an accompaniment to fish dishes in Gawicia,[30] from which it spread to de rest of de country and den furder away, to de "Spanish Nederwands", which became Bewgium more dan a century water. Professor Pauw Iwegems, curator of de Frietmuseum in Bruges, Bewgium, bewieves dat Saint Teresa of Áviwa of Spain cooked de first French fries, and refers awso to de tradition of frying in Mediterranean cuisine as evidence.[20][31]

In France and oder French-speaking countries, fried potatoes are formawwy pommes de terre frites, but more commonwy pommes frites, patates frites, or simpwy frites. The words aiguiwwettes ("needwe-ettes") or awwumettes ("matchsticks") are used when de French fries are very smaww and din, uh-hah-hah-hah. One enduring origin story howds dat French fries were invented by street vendors on de Pont Neuf bridge in Paris in 1789, just before de outbreak of de French Revowution.[32] However, a reference exists in France from 1775 to "a few pieces of fried potato" and to "fried potatoes".[33]

Eating potatoes for sustenance was promoted in France by Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, but he did not mention fried potatoes in particuwar. Many Americans attribute de dish to France and offer as evidence a notation by U.S. President Thomas Jefferson: "Pommes de terre frites à cru, en petites tranches" ("Potatoes deep-fried whiwe raw, in smaww swices") in a manuscript in Thomas Jefferson's hand (circa 1801–1809) and de recipe awmost certainwy comes from his French chef, Honoré Juwien, uh-hah-hah-hah.[12]
In addition, from 1813[34] on, recipes for what can be described as "French fries" occur in popuwar American cookbooks. By de wate 1850s, a cookbook was pubwished dat used de term French fried potatoes.[35]
The dick-cut fries are cawwed Pommes Pont-Neuf[4] or simpwy pommes frites (about 10 mm); dinner variants are pommes awwumettes (matchstick potatoes; about 7 mm), and pommes paiwwe (potato straws; 3–4 mm). (Roughwy 0.4, 0.3 and 0.15 inch respectivewy.) Pommes gaufrettes are waffwe fries. A popuwar dish in France is steak-frites, which is steak accompanied by din French fries.

Frites are de main ingredient in de Canadian/Québécois dish known (in bof Canadian Engwish and French) as poutine; a dish consisting of fried potatoes covered wif cheese curds and brown gravy. Poutine has a growing number of variations but is generawwy considered to have been devewoped in ruraw Québec sometime in de 1950s, awdough precisewy where in de province it first appeared is a matter of contention, uh-hah-hah-hah.[38][39][40] Canada is awso responsibwe for providing 22% of China's French fries.[41][42]

Germany, Austria and Switzerwand

French fries migrated to de German-speaking countries during de 19f century. In Germany, where dey are usuawwy known by de French words pommes frites, or onwy Pommes or Fritten (derived from de French words but pronounced as German words). They are often served wif mayonnaise, and are a popuwar wawking snack offered by Schnewwimbiss ("qwick bite") kiosks.[43] Since de advent of Currywurst in de 1950s, a paper tray of sausage (bratwurst or bockwurst) anointed wif curry ketchup, waced wif additionaw curry powder and a side of french fries, has become an immensewy popuwar fast food meaw.[44]

United Kingdom and Irewand

The standard deep-fried cut potatoes in de United Kingdom are cawwed chips, and are cut into pieces between 10 and 15 mm (0.39 and 0.59 in) wide. They are occasionawwy made from unpeewed potatoes (skins showing). British chips are not de same ding as potato chips (an American term); dose are cawwed "crisps" in Britain, uh-hah-hah-hah. In de UK, chips are part of de popuwar, and now internationaw, fast food dish fish and chips.

The first chips fried in de UK were sowd by Mrs. 'Granny' Duce in one of de West Riding towns in 1854.[45] A bwue pwaqwe in Owdham marks de origin of de fish-and-chip shop, and dus de start of de fast food industry in Britain, uh-hah-hah-hah.[46] In Scotwand, chips were first sowd in Dundee: "in de 1870s, dat gwory of British gastronomy – de chip – was first sowd by Bewgian immigrant Edward De Gernier in de city's Greenmarket".[47] In Irewand de first chip shop was "opened by Giuseppe Cervi", an Itawian immigrant, "who arrived dere in de 1880s".[48] It is estimated dat in de UK, 80% of househowds buy frozen chips each year.[49]

United States

French fry production wif dermostatic temperature controw, at a restaurant

Awdough French fries were a popuwar dish in most British Commonweawf countries, de "din stywe" French fries have been popuwarized worwdwide in warge part by de warge American fast food chains such as McDonawd's, Burger King, and Wendy's.[50]
In de United States, de J. R. Simpwot Company is credited wif successfuwwy commerciawizing French fries in frozen form during de 1940s. Subseqwentwy, in 1967, Ray Kroc of McDonawd's contracted de Simpwot company to suppwy dem wif frozen fries, repwacing fresh-cut potatoes. In 2004, 29% of de United States' potato crop was used to make frozen fries – 90% consumed by de food services sector and 10% by retaiw.[51] The United States is awso known for suppwying China wif most of deir French fries as 70% of China's French fries are imported.[52][42]

Pre-made French fries have been avaiwabwe for home cooking since de 1960s, having been pre-fried (or sometimes baked), frozen and pwaced in a seawed pwastic bag.[53] Some varieties of French fries dat appeared water have been battered and breaded, and many fast food chains in de U.S. dust de potatoes wif kashi, dextrin, and oder fwavor coatings for crispier fries wif particuwar tastes.[54] French fries are one of de most popuwar dishes in de United States, commonwy being served as a side dish to entrees and being seen in fast food restaurants. The average American eats around 30 pounds of French fries a year.[55][56]

Heawf aspects

Fries frying in oiw

Oven-baked fries

French fries primariwy contain carbohydrates (mostwy in de form of starch) and protein from de potato, and fat absorbed during de deep-frying process. Sawt, which contains sodium is awmost awways appwied as a surface seasoning. For exampwe, a warge serving of French fries at McDonawd's in de United States is 154 grams. The 510 cawories come from 66 g of carbohydrates, 24 g of fat, 7 g of protein and 350 mg of sodium.[60]

Experts have criticized French fries for being very unheawdy. According to Jonadan Bonnet, MD, in a TIME magazine articwe, "fries are nutritionawwy unrecognizabwe from a spud" because dey "invowve frying, sawting, and removing one of de heawdiest parts of de potato: de skin, where many of de nutrients and fiber are found."[61] Kristin Kirkpatrick, RD, cawws French fries "...an extremewy starchy vegetabwe dipped in a fryer dat den woads on de unheawdy fat, and what you have weft is a food dat has no nutritionaw redeeming vawue in it at aww."[61] David Katz, MD states dat "French fries are often de super-fatty side dish to a burger—and bof are often used as vehicwes for dings wike sugar-waced ketchup and fatty mayo."[61]

Frying french fries in beef tawwow, ward, or oder animaw fats adds saturated fat to de diet. Repwacing animaw fats wif tropicaw vegetabwe oiws, such as pawm oiw, simpwy substitutes one saturated fat for anoder. For many years partiawwy hydrogenated vegetabwe oiws were used as a means of avoiding chowesterow and reducing saturated fatty acid content, but in time de trans fat content of dese oiws was perceived as contributing to cardiovascuwar disease.[62] Starting in 2008, many restaurant chains and manufacturers of pre-cooked frozen French fries for home reheating phased out trans fat containing vegetabwe oiws.[63][64]

French fries contain some of de highest wevews of acrywamides of any foodstuff, and experts have raised concerns about de effects of acrywamides on human heawf.[65][66] According to de American Cancer Society, it is not cwear as of 2013[update] wheder acrywamide consumption affects peopwe's risk of getting cancer.[65] A meta-anawysis indicated dat dietary acrywamide is not rewated to de risk of most common cancers, but couwd not excwude a modest association for kidney, endometriaw or ovarian cancers.[66] A wower-fat medod for producing a French fry-wike product is to coat "Frenched" or wedge potatoes in oiw and spices/fwavoring before baking dem. The temperature wiww be wower compared to deep frying, and which awso reduces acrywamide formation, uh-hah-hah-hah.[67]

In de United States, in 2002, de McDonawd's Corporation agreed to donate to Hindus and oder groups to settwe wawsuits fiwed against de chain for miswabewing French fries and hash browns as vegetarian because beef extract was added in deir production, uh-hah-hah-hah.[11]